


Hours of Need

by Morgane (smilla840)



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: M/M, Warning: past child abuse, Written during season 1, now AU, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-15
Updated: 2012-07-15
Packaged: 2017-11-10 00:52:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/460425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smilla840/pseuds/Morgane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hotch goes missing and now it’s up to Gideon and the rest of the team to find him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Set three years after season 1 (particularly "Natural Born Killer") and now AU. Some dialogues are taken directly from that episode.
> 
> Warnings: past child abuse, some violence

_Herodotus once said, ‘Of all possessions a friend is the most precious.’_

 

Aaron walked aimlessly around his house. It was Thanksgiving and he should have been on his way to his parents’ house – his mother’s house, he corrected mentally. She had never moved out after his father’s death. Which was probably why he wasn’t eager to go there in the first place. It wasn’t something he readily admitted, but Aaron Hotchner had always been ruthlessly honest with himself. He didn’t like family reunions. Too many memories. His childhood home certainly hadn’t been a place of joy and happiness, he thought bitterly.

Still, he should get going now. Sean would be in from New York and at least their relationship had improved over the past few years. His mom… well, she would be her typical self. It was all about appearances with her, always had been, but inside the confines of her own home the masks fell and nothing was perfect anymore. One minute overly cheery and the next falling in bouts of depression. Sean thought she was still mourning their dad’s death but Aaron knew better. And he couldn’t find it in him to blame her.

Guilt did strange things to people.

Aaron shook himself, deciding it was time to get a move on and he headed upstairs to pack some clothes. He wouldn’t stay more than a couple of days, his job always the perfect excuse. Those two days though would be sure to push him to the edge of his tightly-wrapped control. 

He would have to explain why Haley and their three year-old son weren’t with him.

He sighed, looking around his bedroom. It felt… empty. Even though Haley had only left two days ago to spend the holidays with her own family, telling Aaron she thought it was for the best, he wasn’t sure she would be back. And he only had himself to blame. But his job had always come first in his life and he couldn’t – or wouldn’t – change that, even for her.

The past few years had been hard for their marriage. Haley had always been very understanding about his work, saying his dedication was one of the things she liked about him, but since Jack had been born it felt like her patience was wearing thin. Oh, there had been no scenes, no demands that Aaron spend more time with his family, but he wasn’t one of the BAU’s finest for nothing. He had known they were growing apart. 

The last year had been especially hard, cases piling up on his desk and the team travelling across the country whenever they could be helpful. Hell, he spent more time with his co-workers than at home. Those holidays had been the first he had taken in a year and he had thought it would be a chance to patch things up. Too late though, it seemed. And maybe it was for the best.

Don’t get him wrong, he adored his son and loved his wife dearly, always would, but was he still in love with her? It was a question he asked himself more and more often these days. If he was honest, he would probably say no and he was tired of pretending. So maybe it _was_ for the best that they part way now, before she started resenting him and Jack paid the price with two estranged parents.

Then there was Jason…

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts and he frowned, wondering who it could possibly be. There would be no salesmen today, and he didn’t know his neighbours very well. His co-workers all had plans – most of them meeting at Morgan’s –, which left… no one.

Shaking his head at his lack of a social life outside of work, he opened the door – and stared at his visitor.

The shock made him go for his gun half a second later, but it was half a second too late and the next thing he knew was blackness.

\---

Jason Gideon was enjoying a relaxing lunch. It was Thanksgiving and they had had no last minute cases to make them break their plans. Most of his co-workers were probably at Morgan’s already but he had declined. He preferred to enjoy the quiet for once. And Aaron wouldn’t be there either, having a previous family engagement – Gideon reflected with a grimace – he would probably rather not have kept.

He was just finishing eating when his phone rang. He looked at it wearily, wondering if he was being called in. It wasn’t Aaron’s number but still…

“Hello?” he finally answered.

“Agent Gideon?”

The voice was unfamiliar and Gideon frowned, wondering where they had gotten his number.

“Speaking.”

“This is Sean Hotchner, Aaron’s brother? Is he at work? Because he was supposed to be there two hours ago and he isn’t answering either of his phones so we thought maybe he was on a case…” the voice in his ear trailed off, sounding both pissed off and a little hopeful.

Gideon felt unease rise inside him. Something was… off here. He knew Aaron hadn’t been looking forward to going back to his old home but if he had said he would go, then he would. That was how Aaron was. And even if he had been called in and not Gideon, it just wasn’t like him not to answer his phone.

After writing down Sean’s phone number and telling him he would call him as soon as he was done checking a couple of things, Gideon hung up and grabbed his jacket, all thoughts of a peaceful day fleeing from his mind.

Something was very wrong here and wouldn’t be right until he found Aaron.

\---

Gideon made his way towards Aaron’s house. He had to resist the urge to turn the lights on – after all, maybe Aaron had just overslept (unlikely). Or maybe his car had broken down and he had forgotten his phone at home (again, not likely at all – Aaron’s phone was like his two guns. He never went anywhere without either.)

Of course, Gideon’s trained mind soon led him towards less pleasant possibilities, ranging from a bad fall at home to a car accident to more… gruesome scenarios Gideon wished he didn’t have to consider. But that was part of his job, and life.

He had already called Quantico and had them confirm that Aaron wasn’t there. He hadn’t bothered to call Haley though. Aaron had mentioned she was going to her own family for Thanksgiving, and Gideon was probably the only one who knew that they were having problems. Not that Aaron had told him, no. But Gideon knew him, had known him for the past 10 years, and he could tell when something was bothering the other man. It went both ways, Gideon thought with a wry smile. Aaron was the only one who could read him like an opened book and as much as it bothered him at times, it was also comforting.

But he was probably getting ahead of himself. Aaron was probably just fine. Gideon could already see him, raising an eyebrow and giving him a faint smile, and ‘what did you get all worried about?’

Finally, _finally_ he was there. He didn’t lose time parking, leaving his car in the middle of the street, and hurried to the door. Ringing the bell didn’t work and when he reached for the key to Aaron’s house he kept among his own, he realized the door was, in fact, unlocked. And it was just wrong wrong _wrong_ because Aaron _never_ left his door open, hell he didn’t know one FBI or law enforcement agent who did.

He pushed it open carefully, mentally cursing the fact that he wasn’t carrying – it was of those rare times he really wished he did – and checked what he could see of the house. It was trashed. Broken furniture and books and papers lying around in complete disarray. And was that blood? Thankfully if it was, there wasn’t much.

A quick search of the rest of the house told him nothing. Aaron wasn’t there – which was, at that point, a relief.

So he called 911.

Then he called the team.

\---

On principle, Jason Gideon didn’t pace. Pacing showed nervousness and anticipation and all kinds of emotions, none of which an un-sub should see. In any case, he much preferred to remain still and collect his thoughts.

However today was no ordinary day and he felt no qualms in pacing. The house had released little information and after giving his statement to the police he had gone to the office. While they hadn’t technically been assigned to the case and probably shouldn’t get involved for all sorts of reasons Aaron would have pointed out had he been here, there was no question they would take it. And find Aaron.

For now, he was waiting for the others to show up. He hadn’t called Aaron’s family yet either, thinking it better to wait ‘til he had more information.

The ping of the elevator disrupted his pacing and he turned to see the rest of their team striding in. Their expressions ranged from anxious to worried and pissed off and Gideon gestured them towards the conference room.

“Okay. This is what we know.” He started, feeling all eyes focused on him. “Hotch was supposed to be his mother’s house at noon today. When he didn’t show and didn’t answer his phone his brother called me. That was around 2 pm. I drove to his house, found the door unlocked and the place trashed.” 

He paused a second, letting them absorb what he had just told them before he went on. “Here are pictures of the scene -” He handed them over. “- and we have to consider the possibility he might be hurt. There was some blood there.”

Once again he paused, this time more to gather his own thoughts than anything else.

“Was his wife there too?” Elle asked. Gideon hadn’t said anything about her, and if they had three missing persons instead of one it changed things.

Gideon shook his head. “No, she and Jack are spending Thanksgiving at her parents’ in Boston.”

“Did someone call her?” That was JJ.

“No. Not yet. I wanted to know more before anything else.”

Nods all around and Gideon brought the conversation back into tracks.

“This is what I want to do. Garcia, I want a list of all the cases Hotch had a hand in. We’ll start going over them.”

“There’s got to be hundreds!” Garcia blurted out.

“Then we’ll focus on those where threats were made, and perps released from prison recently. Get started!”

She scampered out of the room to the sanctuary of her office, glad to escape Gideon’s wrath. The others watched her go, before turning back towards him. 

“Are we thinking this is work-related?” Morgan asked, leaning forward. “It could be a random attack, or a robbery gone wrong.”

“No, no, it’s personal. Nothing was taken. The un-sub wanted the police to think that, to lead them in the wrong direction, so he could have more time.”

“Time for what?” Reid asked, his worried expression mirroring his colleagues’.

Gideon shook his head. 

He had no idea.

And that was scary as hell.

\---

Gideon sent Reid, Morgan and Elle to help Garcia, and had JJ contact hospitals and the local PD to see how they were progressing. 

Then he locked himself into Aaron’s office.

Absently he glanced at the files on the desk but he wasn’t seeing them. No, his mind was working on a profile. 

The un-sub had to be male, and at least over 30 - he had experience. He had to subdue Aaron quickly – probably the source of the blood – and get him out of the house in broad daylight without anyone noticing. That took guts and a lot of confidence. But why Aaron? If this was work-related they would eventually find it. If, like Morgan has suggested, it was random… well, they would have to find it too.

\---

Morgan, Reid and Elle had files spread all over their desks, and it was only the first batch.

“This is useless!” Morgan threw back a file on his desk a little too hard. “Hotch worked hundreds of cases. Even if you take out those where the un-subs are still in prison, it could still be related. A relative, or a fan, you know how it works. And if you add the perps he put in jail when he was ADA… we’ll never see the end of it!” _‘In time’_ was left unsaid but rang loud and clear in the room.

“What do you propose we do?” Elle sounded just as frustrated. There had been no witnesses, no prints found at the scene. They had nothing else to go on.

“Hey guys…” They both turned towards Reid, expectant looks on their faces. “Do you think one of us should talk to Gideon? I mean, make sure he is okay.”

“Hotch just got kidnapped Reid. I don’t think he is okay.” Morgan said, shaking his head.

The three of them turned towards Hotch’s office in which Gideon had disappeared earlier. The two older men were close friends, they had known that already. But until now, they had never realized how much Hotch’s methodical approach balanced Gideon’s more intuitive one. It was oddly unsettling, working a case without him. And they needed Gideon at his best.

It was then that JJ strode into the room. She looked furious and it wasn’t an expression they were used to seeing on her face. Immediately their attention refocused on her.

“I think I might have something.” She announced, passing a stack of papers around.

Gideon, who always seemed to know when something capital was happening, chose this moment to join them. He took one look at their stunned expression before reaching for a sheet himself. JJ handed him one and they all watched as his face drained of colours.

“When was this?” he asked very calmly.

“Two days ago.”

“Why weren’t we informed sooner?!” he finally exploded

No one had an answer to that.

\---

Sean Hotchner was angry. In fact, he had been oscillating between angry and worried for the past couple of hours, but right now it was ‘angry’.

When Aaron hadn’t showed up on time at their mom’s house, Sean had been annoyed and more than a little pissed off. Just like old times. Aaron couldn’t be bothered – his work came before everything else. 

Then one hour had passed, and another, and he had started to get worried. Because if it was just like him to get caught up in his work, it was very _un_ like him not to call. Because Aaron took his ‘duty’ very seriously. Be it work or family. He had been the one looking after him and his mom after their father had died – and Sean could readily admit he had resented him for that.

So when Aaron hadn’t called, nor answered his phone, Sean had called Haley. She would know if his brother was at work.

And hadn’t that conversation been awkward. Haley was off in Boston visiting her own family, and there had been Sean, thinking she was coming along. Still, she had given him Gideon’s number and Sean had called him.

He didn’t know the man very well. In fact, he didn’t know his _brother_ very well. But he knew they were friends and if something had happened to Aaron, Gideon was the man who could find out.

Still, he wasn’t going to sit there and do nothing. He had told his mother he was going to Aaron’s house, and she had nodded stoically, telling him to keep her informed. But when he had gotten there, the whole place was sealed by police cars and yellow tape. 

Something was definitely wrong there. 

And he was going to get some answers.

Like, right now.

He had been to Aaron’s office once before and although he had to admit Quantico was a little intimidating, he didn’t hesitate. And being Aaron’s brother sure had its advantages around here. When the agent at the gate checked his ID and asked the purpose of his visit, he looked suitably impressed by what Sean told him.

Yes, he was going to have some answers.


	2. Chapter 2

_Mary Wollstonecraft once wrote, ‘Friendship is a serious affection; the most sublime of all affections, because it is founded on principle, and cemented by time.’_

 

Aaron emerged slowly to consciousness. The world around him was still fuzzy and spinning a little but it got clearer as he took his first view of the room he was in. Lots of dust. Wood. Nothing particular that would indicate where he was. Then he focused on himself. Apart from the headache he didn’t seem to have sustained any other injury. That was… good, on the global scale of things. He was also tied up very expertly to the chair and couldn’t hope to escape without outside intervention. He would have to rely on Gideon and the rest of the team to get him out. He knew they would.

Would they be in time, however, was an entirely different matter. Because he knew this man, knew his _victims_ , and there was nothing good ahead of him.

“So, you’re awake. Thought I had hit you too hard.”

A lesser man would have jumped at the sudden apparition but Aaron wasn’t anyone and locked down his instinctive response. Instead, he focused a levelled gaze on his kidnapper.

“Hello Vincent.”

\---

“Alright people, listen up.”

Gideon immediately had the room’s attention. They had gathered a task force around them to help find Aaron and they were all focused and determined.

“Our un-sub is a man named Vincent Perotta. He was convicted on several counts of murder and torture two years ago. The insanity plea was rejected during his trial and he has been in prison ever since. We just learned that he escaped two days ago. That left him plenty of time to come here and abduct SSA Hotchner.”

“The man is 47 year olds. He is intelligent, organized and methodical.” Reid went on. “We don’t know why he took Agent Hotchner yet but what we do know is that he is a psychopath who killed hundreds of people. So time is the essence here.”

Gideon nodded and continued. “Here is a photo of Perotta made during his arrest. What we need you to do is to help locate him. Go through his file, check every addresses and known associates. He hasn’t been out for a long time so he is probably in a place familiar to him. JJ, you’ll coordinate the search.”

As the agents started to file out of the room, Gideon turned towards his team. “Morgan and Elle, I want you both to go to the prison. See his cell, talk to the guardians. We need to know everything that happened to Perotta in the past 3 years.”

They both nodded and hurried out of the room.

“Garcia.” The tech stood straighter under Gideon’s eyes. “We need to see the recordings of the interview with Perotta. All of it.”

She left too, leaving Gideon and Reid alone. Reid fidgeted a little on his seat, torn between babbling – unhelpful, in this case – statistics and not saying anything. In the end, he got as far as “You know…” when Garcia barged back in in record time, slightly out of breath and brandishing a CD like a weapon. She inserted it in one of the computers as Gideon and Reid crowded over it. They _had_ to find some clue as to why Perotta had taken Hotch.

 

Unfortunately the first part of the interview didn’t give much. Perotta was as arrogant as Gideon remembered, not giving an inch and very pleased with himself – retrospectively, Gideon could see he would never have gotten anywhere with him. Still, he insisted on watching it anyway.

The second part, however, was what really interested him. He had been present when Aaron had talked to Perotta, had watched from behind the glass window, but he didn’t remember much except that Aaron had gotten him to talk about his father and that was how they had found the missing agent.

Now, however, he could focus on the man’s minute reactions, on how he had gone from smug to defensive to broken. Aaron was _that_ good.

Gideon leaned forward with interest. He and the rest of the team had left soon after to find Agent Backer but Aaron had stayed behind. And something had changed. Their body language was different, Aaron leaning forward intently and Perotta quiet and subdued in his chair. It was a complete reversal from only half an hour earlier and Gideon was mesmerized.

\---

Sean lost no time making his way towards his brother’s office. Someone would give him some answers there. As he reached the building, he thought he saw Morgan and one of the new girls get into a car and take off, tires screeching, and his determination redoubled.

The office itself was relatively empty but there were noises coming from what looked to be the conference room so he went that way. As he got closer, he heard voices – his brother’s! – and was about to barge in to demand what on earth was going on when he realized it was a tape playing and that three people were clustered in front of it.

He stopped and listened.

_“- father beat you up every chance he got.”_

_“Smacked me around some. Didn’t everybody’s old man?”_

_“No.”_

_“Well, maybe if yours had you would have learned to fight.”_

_“Paranoid personalities develop in childhood.”_

_“You know you’re saving me thousands of dollars in therapy bills.”_

_“And you learned to take the beatings, the abuse, you learned to smile. But in the back of your mind you probably thought, one day. One day when I’m big enough. So you were bullied and abused and you became an abuser and a bully, it’s a logical progression.”_

_“Really?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“Your father beat up your mother too didn’t he?”_

_“My mother’s got nothing to do with this.”_

_“Your mother knew. She knew that he beat up every day. And she did nothing to help you. And you still loved her, even though she let you get hurt you loved her. And I wondered why. Why you didn’t hate her. And of course I realized that he beat her up as much as he beat you.”_

_“Don’t talk about my mother.”_

_“You killed all these people, hundreds of them. And only one woman. That’s what made you get sloppy isn’t it? Killing Mrs DiMarco was hard, that’s why you did it first and you made it quick. I thought it was to establish dominance but it wasn’t.”_

_“He was a bastard, alright?”_

_“Your father?”_

_“I called him Frank, he was a mean son of a bitch, is that what you want to know?”_

Honestly, he could say it was the scariest thing he had ever heard. Aaron’s voice was calm and imperturbable – he remembered that from his childhood, it used to drive him crazy – yet there was also… compassion? understanding? Man, his brother’s job was weird.

Unfortunately, he must have made some noise at that point because one of the persons in front of the screen – he could recognize Gideon now – turned towards him.

\---

_“You were just responding to what you learned, Vincent.”_

A shuffling behind him made Gideon turn back. When he saw who it was, he hit pause and stood up.

“You shouldn’t be here, Sean.”

“I shouldn’t be here? I called you hours ago and never heard from you again! I go to Aaron’s house and there are cops everywhere! Tell me what’s going on!”

“Calm down,” Gideon said, managing to make it not quite a command but almost. Reid next to him was still staring thoughtfully at the frozen screen while Garcia looked from him to Sean – but mostly to Sean. “It would seem that your brother has been kidnapped by a man who escaped from prison two days ago. We’re doing everything we can to find him, but you’ve got to let us work okay?”

Sean nodded, somewhat mollified, but Gideon could see it wouldn’t last. The younger man was nothing like Aaron. Where the older brother was carefully controlled, this one’s feelings just exploded all over the place – like their father’s had, maybe? Predicatively, Sean made no move to leave the room and Gideon mentally sighed. He could call security and have him removed by force, but that would waste time he didn’t have.

Instead, he chose to ignore him and turned back towards the computer, hitting play.

_“When you grow up in an environment like that, an extremely abusive violent household, it’s not surprising that some people grow up to become killers.”_

The amount of empathy in Aaron’s voice bothered him – it was almost as if he was feeling sorry for Perotta, like he _understood_. And while Gideon knew why, oh he knew, even if it was one of those things they didn’t talk about, like the bombing, it still bothered him. Aaron couldn’t possibly think he had anything in common with that man – except maybe that was exactly what he thought, and Gideon realized they _should_ have talked about it.

_“Some people?”_

Gideon winced. Of course, Perotta would have to catch that.

_“What’s that?”_

_“You said some people grow up to become killers.”_

The two men on the tape were staring at each other, until Aaron nodded, almost to himself, and…

_“And some people grow up to catch them.”_

Then Gideon watched as Aaron left the room and Perotta was taken away. The screen turned black and he couldn’t bring himself to look away from it. Aaron was a very private man, and to have one of his secrets laid bare like this, especially that one…

Reid was already looking at him like a light-ball had just gone on in his head. Garcia wasn’t far behind, blinking hard and stuttering a little.

“But, but…”

Gideon, however, was more interested in Sean Hotchner’s reaction. From what he had gathered from Aaron’s brief confidences, the two of them hadn’t gotten along very well since Sean had hit puberty, the younger man resenting his father’s absence and Aaron stepping up to fill the role, lashing out at Aaron with the typical teenaged absurd logic. 

What he didn’t know was how much Sean knew about his brother and their father, or even if he had been abused himself and repressed the memories.

Sean, who looked completely flabbergasted. 

“What is he _talking_ about? He- Dad never- what’s going on here?”

Gideon didn’t answer. It wasn’t his place. 

His phone chose that instant to start ringing and when he checked the caller ID, he saw Elle’s name. Good. They must be at the prison already.

“Elle, what do you?” he said without preamble, putting her on speaker phone.

“Gideon, that guy is seriously obsessed. We found newspaper clips of cases the BAU’s worked in the past few years, all of which mention Hotch in one way or another.” Elle’s voice resonated in the room. “We also talked to the guards, they said Perotta spent a lot of time in the library – get this, he read books on psychology.”

Gideon was already nodding. Yes, he could see now.

“Alright, that’s how it is. All his life, Vincent Perotta believed he became the man he was _despite_ his father. Aaron shattered that belief, in showing him he was how he was _because_ of what had been done to him. Whatever pride he had in his work is now a bitter reminder of his father. I’m not saying he feels remorse, or that he is any less dangerous...”

“However,” Reid took over, eyes gleaming a little in excitement, “it might mean that we’ve got more time. Torture wasn’t his aim when he took Hotch, not like with Agent Baker. No, I think he sees Hotch as a kindred spirit, someone who can answer his questions.”

Gideon nodded in appreciation. “He wants to know why he turned into the monster he became and Aaron didn’t. He wants to know what makes them different. As long as he cooperates… Perotta will keep him alive.” _Except if he didn’t like the answers,_ he thought privately.

“Hotch was abused as a child?” Elle cut in, disbelief and outrage mingling in her voice.

“Come back to the office, we’ll fill you in.” Gideon stated firmly in a voice that brooked no argument. He wasn’t going to discuss Aaron’s past traumas on the phone any longer.

After hanging up, he turned back towards Sean who was now shaking his head in denial.

“Sean…”

“That’s not true. Dad never raised his hand on me.”

“And on Aaron?” Gideon asked gently. “He was 10 when you were born, you can’t possibly know what happened before that time. And you were only 8 when your father died. Your memories of him must be hazy at best.”

“But I would have known!”

Gideon could see the struggle in the young man and he felt sorry for him. However they still had to find Aaron and this would have to wait.

“Not if Aaron hadn’t wanted you to know.”

And that was true. Aaron was a master at hiding what he didn’t want other people to see. Had always been. It wasn’t far-fetched to assume it was something he had learned in his childhood. It had never seemed to work completely with Gideon though, for which he was glad.

“Sean, listen to me.” He finally got his attention and waited ‘til he was sure he was listening before continuing. “Here is what I want you to do. I want you to go home -”

Sean opened his mouth to protest but Gideon didn’t let him.

“- and stay near the phone. If Perotta wants to know why he and Aaron are so different, he might try to reach you to figure how _you_ turned out.”

Sean still looked torn but reluctantly nodded.

“Good. I’ll send an agent with you, just in case. Garcia, have JJ work this out, okay?”

Garcia left the room, eager to have something to do and leaving no room for Sean to argue anymore – she practically dragged him away. 

\---

Spencer watched them go and then turned towards his mentor.

“You really think the un-sub will try to contact him?”

Gideon was already shaking his head. “No. He is too focused on Aaron to care about anyone else. No, I had to find a way to send him home. Might as well make him feel useful.”

Spencer nodded thoughtfully, his mind already searching statistics and calculating probabilities. None of them were very good. So he shut that part of his mind for the time being and looked at Gideon.

The older man looked… worn down. The investigation was taking quite a toll on him. It was strange to see Gideon so… well, anxious. Not that he didn’t show emotions on their other cases – he did, and quite a range of them too – but never this intense.

The fact that they knew the un-sub and what he was capable of made it even worse.

And it was only natural, Spencer reflected. It was Hotch who was missing. He didn’t doubt that Gideon would have been equally worried had any other member of the team disappeared, but there was a bond between the two men, one Spencer had pondered on and never quite managed to identify. Which in itself was quite a feat. But considering the two men involved, not surprising.

Gideon was, after all, one of the best profilers the Bureau had ever had. Spencer felt privileged to work with him and consider him a friend. Hotch had seemed more reserved at first, more inaccessible, but Spencer had quickly realized it wasn’t so. He admired the man a great deal and always looked forward to his insight. Hotch just maintained such a tight leash on his emotions that it made him appear cold – and Spencer had only now found out why.

“You knew didn’t you?”

Gideon nodded, not needing to ask what he was talking about.

“His father?”

Again, a nod, and Spencer left it at that. He didn’t need to know more, not for the case anyway. And he knew Gideon wouldn’t tell him more.

Now they knew who and why. They still had to figure out where.

And hope they wouldn’t be too late.


	3. Chapter 3

_Friendship, according to Proust, is the negation of that irremediable solitude to which every human being is condemned._

 

“How did you get out Vincent?” Aaron asked, keeping a calm exterior while quickly reassessing his situation. It was strange, sitting here in a dusty room with Vincent Perotta in front of him. They almost mirrored their positions back in that holding cell three years ago, except now Aaron was the one tied to the chair.

It was… worrying, to say the least. But he wasn’t going to let that feeling show. He had already shown plenty – too much, his mind screamed at him – back in that interrogation room.

The other man shrugged. “Took some time. But in the end it was easy. Just had to make sure a fight broke out in the yard. Timed it with the delivery trunk. I slipped out while the guards were busy getting them back under control.”

“So you’re free now. And you know the FBI will be looking for me. Why take the risk to be sent back there?”

“I wanted to talk to you, about what you said.” Vincent said as if it was the most natural thing in the world. “You know, I’ve done some reading. Seems you were right.”

Aaron chose not to acknowledge that statement, instead looking at the other man in what he hoped was an open and inquisitive manner.

“You’re a married man.” They both looked down at his wedding ring. “Tell me, ever raised your hand on your wife?”

“No.”

Vincent raised an eyebrow at him.

“Ever wanted to?”

“No.” Aaron replied steadily, staring straight at him. He would not let the other goad him.

“Hum… You have any siblings?” Vincent asked casually and Aaron couldn’t help but wonder where he was going with his line of questioning. Still, he wasn’t going to make it easy for him.

“No.”

The blow came out of nowhere and sent his head reeling, stars bursting behind his eyes. 

“Now, that’s not very nice. You know Aaron, you can find anything on the internet. Now, I can’t have you lying to me, can I? It would be counterproductive. So let’s try again. Tell me about your brother.”

“What do you want to know?” he asked through clenched teeth, fighting back the urge to throw up. Yep, commotion all right.

“Does _he_ like to hurt people?”

“No.”

“Are you sure? Do you watch him just to make sure? Check up on him?”

Aaron shook his head. “He doesn’t remember our father. He was very young when he died.”

Vincent nodded, as if satisfied by the answer.

“But you remember.” It wasn’t a question but still required an answer.

“Yes.”

“So why aren’t you like me?” Vincent’s voice raised a notch, telling Aaron that was the heart of the problem.

“I don’t know.” Aaron said, and he didn’t. Oh, he had wondered, night after night after night. Every time a case hit a little too close to home, he would wonder. Then he would shove it in the back of his mind and resolutely move forward. That was what he did.

His answer, however, didn’t seem to satisfy Vincent. His eyes narrowed and he took a step forward menacingly.

“You have to have an idea. You’re one of ‘the great BAU profilers’,” he quoted mockingly. “TELL ME!”

When no answer was forthcoming, the blows started again.

\---

Gideon was immerged in the case file. There had to be some clue as to where Perotta had taken Hotch. Gideon refused to believe it was some place random and anonymous. Everything that man did had significance, at least in his own eyes. They just had to figure it out.

Elle and Morgan had come back a few moments ago and he had let Reid update them. They were now all focused on finding a location, anything that might clue them in. FBI teams and the police force were in the field in Baltimore, going through his old haunts and interrogating Russo. So far, no luck.

But Gideon wasn’t about to quit. There was something, something nagging at the back of his mind. It was important, that much he knew, but just out of reach. And the more he tried to grasp it, the more it slipped away. 

Then he got it. 

And sat up so suddenly he sent the file flying. The rest of the team turned towards him with curious and expectant eyes but Gideon ignored them, heading straight for Garcia.

“Garcia, his father’s hunting accident…”

“If it was an accident,” she snorted.

“Where was it? Where did they go hunting?” Gideon continued as if she had never interrupted him.

Garcia shot him a quizzical look but her fingers were already flying on her keyboard.

“There it is. Shooting accident, October 12, 1975. Hugg-Thomas WMA, Maryland.”

“Good, good. Where did they stay when they went hunting there? Did they have a cabin?” Gideon asked hurriedly. Reid, Morgan and Elle had gathered around them, listening intently.

“Let me check,” Garcia mumbled to herself. “Property records in the name of Frank Perotta in that county – there it is! Just outside Sykesville.”

“Paranoid personalities often fall back to places they’re familiar with, it makes them feel more in control.” Reid piped up. “And if that’s where he killed his father, it makes sense he would take Hotch there to get answers. A cycle of sorts.”

“JJ, contact Wildlife services and Sykesville PD. Tell them to set up surveillance around the house but at a distance and _not_ to go in unless they have no choice. Who knows what Perotta will do if he feels cornered.” Gideon called out, already on his feet and halfway through the door. “We’re on our way.”

\---

There was 90 miles between Quantico and Sykesville. They had had a helicopter standing by – sometimes it paid to be the best at what you did – and reached the town in under 30 minutes. Of course, they couldn’t get too close to the cabin to avoid alerting Perotta but police cars were there when they landed.

The Chief of Police was waiting to update them on the situation.

“My men are watching the house – from what we could see, there is movement inside.” The BAU team sighed in relief. Gideon had been right. “And some of your guys from Baltimore arrived 10 minutes ago.”

Gideon nodded. “Alright, let’s go people!”

The ride to the cabin didn’t take very long. It was on the outskirts of the town, lost in the forest – Gideon deduced Frank Perotta had chosen the location on purpose: there would have been no neighbours to worry about while he abused his wife and son. No one to hear them scream.

The perimeter set around the house was thankfully discreet and from what the officers told him, there was no indication Perotta knew they were here. It didn’t take long to assemble a plan for the assault team and soon, they were on the move.

They would get to Hotch.

 

As he watched them bring down the door, Gideon’s heart had never beaten so fast. The shots that followed were enough to make all thoughts about his own safety vanish and he took off towards the house at full speed. But he wasn’t the only one, his mind vaguely registered, the whole team following.

Entering the living room, he peripherally registered the body on the floor. Perotta. The man had a gun in his hand and had clearly intended to use it – whether or not he had had time was another matter. No, his eyes were roaming around the room looking frantically for someone he couldn’t find. And he couldn’t move, too terrified by what he could – would? – find. 

A small cluster of agents finally caught his attention and he unfroze from his position. Rushing forward, he pushed them out of the way and Thank God!

Aaron looked very much the worst for wear, bruised and bloody, but he was breathing and that was enough for Gideon. Kneeling next to his friend, he tried to take it all in – alive, he was _alive_ – and reached for him.

“Hey.” He said softly and watched with relief as Aaron’s eyes fluttered open. They were glassy and unfocused, but it was the most beautiful sight Gideon had even seen. “You’re okay, we’re here.”

Then someone was cutting through the ropes and Aaron toppled forward, unable to hold himself up. Gideon caught him, trying to be mindful of his injuries and not to cling too much.

“I’ve got you.” He whispered soothingly. He felt Aaron nod against his shoulder, and he was probably getting blood all over his clothes – Aaron’s blood – but it wasn’t important. He flashed back to when Perotta had almost killed Hotch that first time, and afterwards making sure he was okay. It wasn’t often that Aaron allowed anyone to take care of him, but Gideon swore to himself he was going to let him again.

Around him, he could hear the others talking, with Reid’s anxious “Is he okay?” and Morgan’s reassuring “He’ll be fine”, and Elle telling them with quiet satisfaction that Perotta was dead.

Then the paramedics were in the room and Gideon was grateful to whoever had called them. He wasn’t sure he was ready to let go though, but he got no choice in that matter. Hotch needed medical care.

Their quick examination confirmed what Gideon suspected. Aaron had a couple of cracked ribs and broken bones, and a lot of bruises. He also had lost a little more blood than he could afford – Perotta had used a knife and Gideon shuddered at the thought of it – but there were no signs of internal bleeding. Baring any complications with his head wound, he should be fine.

That was such a relief that he got a little light-headed but quickly got himself back under control. He watched as the medics put Aaron on a stretcher and led him away. And he wanted to go with him, oh he did, but he had to deal with the situation first – he was, after all, the agent in charge and they had a dead escaped prisoner on their hand.

Thankfully the mess was dealt with efficiently. The Marshals arrived and took over. Gideon was more than glad to let them. Then he was thanking Sykesville’s Chief of Police for his cooperation and sending the agents back to the Baltimore office.

Finally, it was over.

Except it was just beginning.

Hotch had been transported back to DC – which further reassured Gideon that his injuries weren’t life-threatening – and the team had followed. Heading back for the chopper, Gideon felt suddenly very tired.

He really had to get to the hospital.


	4. Chapter 4

_James Baldwin once wrote, ‘Love takes off masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within.’_

 

It was well past midnight when he got to the hospital. Visiting hours had been over for a long time now, but he wasn’t surprised to see Reid, Morgan, Elle and JJ waiting for him.

“Hey Gideon,” Morgan greeted him with a smile on his face. “The Doc said he’ll be fine. They’re keeping him here for a few days –” Gideon grimaced a little at this. Aaron would not be pleased. “– and he’s going to be in pain for a while, but he should be as good as new in a couple of months.”

Gideon closed his eyes for a brief second, absorbing the news – fine, he was going to be just fine – and smiled at his team.

“That’s good news. Why don’t you go home? You still have tomorrow off.”

There were weak chuckles at that all around, and one after the other they started to leave. JJ stopped for a few minutes.

“I called his wife and his brother to let them know he was okay. Sean is in here right now.”

Gideon nodded his thanks. He hoped Sean would have the good sense not to bring up past traumas to the fore – he really didn’t think Aaron was up to dealing with it right now. So he watched the two brothers from outside the hospital room. Aaron looked half out of it as it was, but he still seemed to know Gideon was there. Their eyes met briefly and he got a faint smile in answer to his silent inquiry. Yes, he was fine. No, he didn’t need Gideon running interference. So Gideon settled back and waited.

A few minutes later Sean left and Gideon quietly stepped inside the room. It was fairly typical, as far as hospital rooms went, but it was special due to its content. He sat on the chair that had just been vacated and stared at his friend. His head had been bandaged, as were his ribs and a few other patches along his arms. His left wrist was in a cast and bruises were already starting to darken his skin. They were going to hurt in the next few days.

In one word, he looked like hell. 

Yet Gideon had never been happier to see him.

Hesitantly, he reached for him, not really knowing where he could touch and not hurt him. Finally his hand settled on Aaron’s shoulder and he left it there, taking solace in the warm and solid – alive – presence.

Aaron’s head turned towards him and he opened his eyes.

“Hey Jason,” he said, “you alright?”

Gideon gave a short, watery laugh and shook his head.

“Don’t you think I should be asking you that?”

Hotch shrugged – or at least tried to and ended up wincing a little in discomfort.

“I’m fine. They’re giving me good drugs, I don’t feel much.”

Gideon’s hand tightened at his dismissive statement and he just looked at him until Aaron looked away.

“I’ll be fine,” he finally said quietly, suddenly finding the wall very interesting, and Gideon couldn’t stop himself. His hand moved – on its own accord apparently – from Aaron’s shoulder to his hair, stroking it lightly.

“You’re always fine. Let me help.”

“Jason…”

Aarorn’s eyes were wide and questioning, and _‘Do you mean it?’_

It had always been there, this unspoken attraction between them. Just like their ability to look at one other and just _know_ what they were thinking. They both knew it, both knew what it meant, just like they knew they would never do anything about it, because Aaron was married, had been since before they had met, and he was a faithful man.

Still it would flare at times, this want for something more than friendship, from one look or a lingering touch. They never mentioned it, because what good could it do? But things were changing now, changing fast, from Aaron’s marriage dwindling away to the past angst-riddled hours. And Gideon knew he wanted more, needed more, needed all of it.

So he leaned forward and pressed his lips against Aaron’s cheek, then the other, before finally reaching his mouth. The kiss was tender and oh so short, and when Gideon pulled back, Aaron’s eyes which had fluttered shut at the first touch of his lips were opened again and looking right back at him.

“That was unexpected,” Aaron said with a tired smile.

“Was it?”

“No, not really,” he answered softly.

“Not unwelcome, I hope?” And if there was just a little anxiety in Gideon’s voice, neither commented on it.

“Not unwelcome. Stay?” he whispered as he felt his eyes close on their own, the drugs finally taking effect. Sleeping certainly was the last thing on his mind, he had too much to think about, but he figured it could wait. Vincent was dead, Jason was here, he would be fine. He still had to deal with Sean and Haley, but that could wait too.

As he drifted off to sleep, he heard Jason’s answering “Always.” and would have smiled had he had any strength left.

That was all he needed to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted at my livejournal.


End file.
